The resurrection of Christe necessarie.
The Question of the Resurrection's Necessity
The Master asks whether Christ's death alone was sufficient for forgiveness, or whether his resurrection was also necessary.
Master. Tell me then:1 If we receive pardon for our sins through his death, wasn't that enough—did he also have to rise again from the dead?2
Christ's Resurrection Declares His Divinity
The Scholar explains that Christ's resurrection was necessary to prove he is the Son of God, fulfilling prophecy and showing power over death.
Scholar. It wasn't enough, if you have regard either for him or for us. For unless he had risen again, he wouldn't be taken for the Son of God. For that reason also, while he hung on the cross, those who saw him taunted him and said: He has saved others, but can't save himself. Let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. But now, rising from the dead to everlasting continuance of life, he has shown a much greater power of his Godhead than if, by coming down from the cross, he had fled from the terrible pains of death. For to die is common to all people; but to loose the bonds of death, and by his own power to rise again—that properly belongs to Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, the only author of life. Moreover, it was necessary that he should rise again with glory, so that the sayings of David and other prophets of God might be fulfilled, which foretold that neither his body should see corruption, nor his soul be left in hell.3
Our Justification and Hope Rest on the Resurrection
The Scholar concludes that without Christ's resurrection we would have no justification or hope, and therefore he had to rise to secure our salvation.
For our part, we would not have been justified, nor would we have had any hope of rising again, if he had not risen again—as Paul clearly shows in several places. For if he had remained in the prison of death, in the grave, and been held in corruption like everyone else, how could we have hoped for safety through him who did not save himself?4 So it was fitting and necessary—for the work he was undertaking and for the chief support of our protection—that Christ should first free himself from death, and then assure us of safety by his rising again.5
Read the original English
Master. Tell me th…. …f by his death we get pardon of oure sinnes: was not that enough, but that he must also rise againe frō the deade▪
Scho. It was not inough, yf ye haue a respect, eyther to hym, or to vs. For vnlesse he hadde rysen agayne, he shoulde not be taken, for the sonne of God. For whyche cause also, whyle he hong vpō the crosse, thei that saw hym vpbrayded hym and sayde: he hath saued other, but can not saue hym selfe. Let hym now come downe from the crosse, and we will beleue hym. But now vprisyng from the dead to euerlasting continuaunce of life, he hathe shewed a mutche greater power of hys godheade, then if by commyng downe frō the crosse he had fled from the terrible paines of death. For to dye is comō to all men: but to louse the bondes of death, and by his owne power to rise againe, that properlye belongeth to Iesus Christe the onlye begotten sonne of God, the only author of lyfe. Moreouer it was necessarye, that he should ryse again with glorie, that the sayengs of Dauid and other prophetes of God myghte be fulfylled, whych told before: that neither hys body should se corruption: nor hys soule be left in hel.
As for vs, we neither had bene iustified, nor had had anye hope left to ryse agayne, had not he rysen, agayne, as Paule doth in diuerse places playnly shewe. For if he had remayned in the prisō of death, in graue: and bene holden in corruption, as al men besyde: how could we haue hoped for saf ty by hym whych saued not himself? It was mete therfore, & needefull, for the part that he had in hād: and for the chiefe staye of our sauegarde: that Christe shoulde fyrst delyuer hymselfe from deathe, and afterwarde assure vs of safetye by his vprisyng agayne.
Notes
- 1 ↩Source truncated as 'Tell me th….'; restored as 'Tell me then' from the lacuna joining s2–s3 and the parallel catechetical formula at PonetCatechism.1.6.1 ('Tell me then').
- 2 ↩Source begins mid-word as '…f by his death'; restored as 'If by his death', completing the conditional opened after 'Tell me then' in s2.
- 3 ↩Source 'hel' is the Tudor biblical rendering of Sheol/Hades (the realm of the dead), as in Psalm 16:10 / Acts 2:27, 31—not narrowly the place of final torment.
- 4 ↩Normalized broken forms: prisō → prison; saf ty → safety.
- 5 ↩sauegarde rendered as safeguard (cognate); in context it carries the sense of our secured salvation/safety.
John Ponet's Short Catechisme (1553) companion
Rule yourself daily, not just on retreat
Chosen Portion turns the mirror into a daily practice — a short reading and examining question each morning before you lead anyone.
Chosen Portion makes the mirror daily: the ruler-formation questions this collection preserves become a two-minute morning examination in the app.
- A daily formation reading drawn from centuries of counsel to those in authority
- One pointed examination question a day — two minutes, before the meetings start
- Track your practice over weeks and watch the examined life become a habit